Bag with a strap

ABSTRACT

A bag comprises a bottom wall ( 51 ) and four side-wall portions ( 11, 21, 31, 41 ) that extend along respective edges of the bottom wall (S  1 ), and further comprises a frost wall ( 61 ) that connects with said side-wall portions, wherein a bag strap ( 3 ) has two ends that are connected to a first side-wall portion ( 11 ) by means of a connecting fitting ( 12 ), and wherein the strap ( 3 ) extends through a strap transit fitting on the bag ( 1 ) The strap transit fitting ( 40 ) is attached to a second side-wall portion ( 21 ) located immediately opposite the first side-wall portion ( 11 ) and the fitting ( 12 ) connecting the strap ends is able to pivot in the plane of the first side-wall portion ( 11 ). The strap is arranged to lie in flat abutment with and along the first and the second side-wall portions and also in flat abutment with and along the intermediate third side-wall portion ( 31 ).

The present invention relates to a bag of the kind defined in thepreamble of Claim 1.

It is known (U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,652) to provide a bag with a strapwhose ends are fastened to the bottom portion of the bag, wherein thestrap extends through a fitting provided on the upper portion of the bagand can be displaced through the strap fitting either to a position inwhich the strap forms two loops of mutually the same size (one for eachshoulder of the bag user) so that the bag can be worn as a back packwith vertically orientated main surfaces, or to an end position in whichthe strap forms a single large loop (between the strap fitting and onestrap fastener) so that the bag can be carried over one shoulder of theuser for instance.

In the case of this latter option, the centre of the bag will be locatedat a distance from the plane of the strap fitting so that the bag willtend to twist to a position in which the main bag surfaces deviate fromsaid vertical orientation, therewith causing the bag to be uncomfortableto carry.

One object of the present invention is to provide a bag with which thisdrawback is eliminated either completely or partially.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bag with which thestrap loops enable the bag to be carried comfortably in both of saidinstances.

These objects are achieved completely or partially by means of thepresent invention.

The invention is defined in the accompanying Claim 1.

Further embodiments of the invention will be apparent from theaccompanying dependent Claims.

The present invention relates to a bag that includes four side wallportions that extend along respective edges of a bottom wall, and thatfurther includes a front wall opposite to the bottom wall In the case ofpreferred embodiments, the bottom wall is generally rectangular and thebag is generally parallelepipedic in shape. The front wall of the bagwill preferably have the form of a lid which is hinged along one of theside wall portions of the bag.

The bag includes a strap that has two ends which are fastened to a firstside wall portion of the bag. The strap extends through a strapthrough-pass fitting.

According to one significant feature of the invention, the strapthrough-pass fitting is attached to a second side wall portion locatedopposite the first side-wall portion. Moreover, the ends of the strapare connected to the first side wall portion by means of a device thatcan pivot in the plane of the first side wall portion and that ispreferably located in respective end regions of said first side wallportion.

When the bag is adapted for use as a shoulder bag, the strap will thuslie flat and in abutment with three side wall portions and will extendcentrally along said portions whereas the shoulder strap loop willextend at the fourth side wall portion. The strap and the strap loopwill therewith extend generally in a plane that contains the centralregion/the centre of gravity of the bag, therewith enabling the bag tobe carried comfortably over one shoulder of the user. When the bag shallbe worn as a back-pack, the pivotal action of the fittings at the endsof the strap enables the ends of the strap to be directed comfortablyaway from the plane of the bottom wall.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, the bottom wall of the bag isupholstered to provide comfortable contact with the user's back.

The third side wall portion suitably includes support feet on which thebag can be supported on the ground or some other underlying surface,wherewith the lid will be conveniently hinged to the third side wallportion. The support feet are located suitably in the vicinity of thebottom wall and the front wall respectively, so as to provide room forthe strap in contact with the outside of the third side wall portionwhen the bag is used as a shoulder bag.

The strap has a length adjustment fitting, which is located convenientlyalong the fourth side wall portion of the bag in a position thatobviates the need for the length adjustment fitting to pass through thestrap through-pass fitting when changing between the two modes of use ofthe bag. The lid is suitably connected to the first, second and thirdside wall portions of the bag by zip fasteners.

The invention enables the bag to be readily adjusted between its twomodes of use and a change in the effective length of the strapconstitutes no problem with regard to the placement of the lengthadjustment fitting.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference tothe accompanying drawing, in which

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of one main surface of a bag accordingto the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view taken on the line I-I in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a second main surface of the bag according toFIG. 1, but with the strap displaced; and

FIG. 4 is a view taken on the line IV-IV in FIG. 3.

Shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 is a generally octagonal parallelepipedic bag 1that has a bottom wall 51 and a lid 61, which define the main surfacesof the bag. The bottom wall 51 is surrounded by a side wall 30 thatincludes four side-wall portions 11, 21, 31, 41 each connecting to arespective edge of the bottom wall 51.

The bottom wall 51 is upholstered, so as tie comfortably against the bagcarrier.

The lid 61 is hinged to the side-wall portion 31 by hinge means 70 andconnectable along its free edges to the side-wall 30 by means of zipfasteners 74. The ends of a strap 3 are connected to a first side-wallportion 11 by means of fittings 12 which are flat, sheet-like anddisposed plane-parallel with the wall portion 11 in the vicinity of saidportion, so as to be pivotal about a respective pivot shaft 13 thatextends at right angles to the surface of the side-wall portion 11.

The strap 3 extends through a strap transit fitting 40 on a secondside-wall portion 21 situated opposite the first side-wall portion 11.FIG. 1 shows the strap 3 in a length-adjusted state in which it providesshoulder loops 45 between the strap transit 40 and respective endfittings 12, so that the bag can be carried on the user's back, as aback pack, with one of the side-wall portions 11, 12 facing upside down.The pivotal action of the fitting 12 enables the strap ends connectedthereto to take a correct angle relative to the plane of the bottom wall51, essentially plane-parallel with the side-wall portion 11. When thebag is worn with a loop 45 around each shoulder, the difference in thepressure at which the strap edges abut the wearer of the bag can bereduced as a result of the pivotal action of the fitting 12, wherewiththe pressure of the strap edges against the wearer's shoulders willnormally be very low when the side-wall portion 21 carrying the fitting12 faces upwards.

As will be seen from FIG. 1, the side wall 30 includes a third side-wallportion 31 which is provided with support feet 44, and that the strap 3has a typical length adjustment fitting 4 in its length section locatedat a remaining fourth side-wall portion 41.

FIG. 3 shows the bag of FIGS. 1 and 2 in a state in which the strap 3 isadjusted through the strap transit fitting 40 to an end position inwhich the strap 3 lies flat against and stretched along the side-wallportions 31 and 21, wherein the strap 3 extends between the support feet44 and centrally along the side wall 30 such as to form a strap loop 46along the fourth side-wall portion 41. FIG. 3 shows the bag standingwith its feet 44 on a flat underlying surface, with the strap helddistanced therefrom.

Because the strap length adjustment fitting 4 is located in theproximity of the wall 11. i.e. the fitting 12, the length adjustmentfitting will not interfere with the strap transit fitting 40 when thestrap 3 shall be displaced to form two identical shoulder loops 45 (FIG.1).

A change in the length of the strap 3 through the action of the lengthadjustment fitting 40 will not therefore have any detrimentalrepercussions when converting the bag between its two modes of useillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 respectively.

As a result of the present invention, when in the state shown in FIG. 1the bag can be carried with its volumetric centre/centre of gravityessentially in the plane that is pitched by the strap loop 46, therebyenabling the bag to be carried comfortably with the strap loop 46 overone shoulder of the bag user. The bag can also be readily switchedbetween its two modes of use according to FIGS. 1 and 3. The bag mayalso be provided with appropriate means for restricting the extent towhich the lid 61 can be opened away from the main part of the bag.

1. A bag comprising a bottom wall (51) and four side-wall portions (11,21, 31, 41) that extend along respective edges of the bottom wall (51),and further comprising a front wall (61) that connects with saidside-wall portions, wherein a bag strap (3) has two ends that areconnected to a first side-wall portion (11) by means of a connectingfitting (12), and wherein the strap (3) extends through a strap transitfitting on the bag (1), characterised in that the strap transit fitting(40) is attached to a second side-wall portion (21) located immediatelyopposite the first side-wall portion (11); in that the fitting (12)connecting the strap ends is able to pivot in the plane of the firstside-wall portion (11); and in that the strap is arranged to lie in flatabutment with and along the first and the second side-wall portions andin flat abutment with and along the intermediate third side-wall portion(31).
 2. A bag according to claim 1, characterised by support feet (44)disposed on the outside of the third side-wall portion, to receive thestrap (3) between the feet (44).
 3. A bag according to claim 1,characterised in that the first and the second side-wall portions (11,21) are shorter than the third and fourth side-wall portions (31, 41).4. A bag according to claim 1, characterised in that the outside of thebottom wall (51) is upholstered.
 5. A bag according to claim 1,characterised in that that the front wall (61) is a lid that is hingedalong the third side wall.
 6. A bag according to claim 5, characterisedby zip fasteners (74) that join the free edges of the lid (61) to thefirst, second and fourth side-wall portions.
 7. A bag according to claim1, characterised in that the strap (3) has a length adjustment fitting(40) disposed in the vicinity of the fourth side-wall portion (41) so asnot to interfere with the strap transit fitting (40) when displacing thestrap (3) to establish two identical shoulder loops (45).